chapter 3

All of the members were excellent performers. All the other idol groups agreed on this fact and even they wondered who The M really was. Even the famous stars openly claimed to want to meet and see The M members, but the agency was adamant that they remain mysterious. They appeared in masks on every show, including talk shows.

Even the best tabloid couldn’t find out much about the group. The person who got closest was Ultra B, who created the dance choreography for The M, but even he stated that he has never seen the members’ faces.

“Umm… It was something I had never experienced before. The M’s agency CEO hired me to teach the members to dance and from the very first meeting, they were all wearing masks. I was so shocked…”

Ultra B also revealed other facts during the interview. He mentioned how relentless and tenacious The M members were.

“For girl groups, dieting is always one of the hardest things to do. I remember one group I used to train. The girls were only allowed to eat a few baby tomatoes per day and had to train dancing thirteen hours a day. They would do this for weeks to lose weight. The only snack they were allowed was iced americanos. They had to lose weight no matter what. This is similar for the boy groups too. A dance performance looks better when you have a slim body, so the boy group members also need to diet to achieve slim yet muscular bodies. The M members… Wow. I found their mental strength to be incredible. They would eat practically nothing and train vigorously. And despite this unbelievable hardship, they would never complain. I would see them sweating like their bodies were melting, but none of them would say a word about it. I wanted to see how far they would go, and incredibly, they trained twenty hours straight one day. They didn’t rest for a minute and I couldn’t believe it. I had to stop them because I was afraid they would collapse and die! They ended up going home at around 8 pm… And I expected them to eat like pigs, but you know what? They each had a cup of protein shake and started to work out. It was then that I knew that these boys would make it. No matter what they do in their lives, they will be successful. And I was right. They did become stars.”

Professional choreographer Ultra B’s interview took place soon after The M’s debut, right when the group was just beginning to be recognized. They were nicknamed ‘Super Rookies’ and the ‘Next Stars.’ After Ultra B’s interview, The M’s ability and hard-work began to be even more appreciated by everyone.

And only three months after their debut, The M’s album reached the top charts and broke many different records. Even without appearing on many tv shows, each member became very well-known quickly. On SNS and YouTube, The M’s videos were viewed in the millions immediately and they became well-recognized even internationally.

The M was at the peak of their popularity when the group decided to cut short their promotional period. This was a huge shock and a mystery to everyone. The M was the most beloved idol group in the country, so why did they suddenly decide to take a break?

Their agency didn’t say much. It released an official statement to all the broadcasting stations but didn’t include much information.

The announcement was released the next morning at 10 AM.

It stated that the group appreciated the love and support from the public. The members were very happy with the success of their first album, and they would return with their second album after a much-needed break.

The group was very popular and there weren’t any unsavory scandals that forced the members to retreat, so the public couldn’t believe the agency’s decision. The fans were especially disappointed.

The fans became very angry and started to attack the agency. They couldn’t accept the fact that they would not get to see the group for a long time. After numerous harsh complaints, the agency finally compromised and offered a solution. The M members would appear on an internet show from time to time as well as some fan meetings. Also, the agency promised that the group members would carry out an independent talk show in the future. It was not enough to satisfy the fans completely, but it was sufficient to sooth them for now.

Hyoyoung and Mikyung were one of those many disappointed fans.

Hyoyoung and Mikyung had been friends since junior high school they never had many things in common. In fact, they were the opposites of each other and maybe that was why they got along for so long. However, after five years, they finally found something in common. More specifically, someone to love.

They both fell in love with The M.

They talked about the group constantly. They exchanged information on the group and watched their videos together. Hyoyoung and Mikyung spent much more time together after that.

On their way back home from school, they again chatted about The M, and before they said goodbye, they decided on the next day’s schedule.

“Tomorrow, there is going to be a live internet show where the members will talk about the recent announcement. Let’s watch it together!”

“Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***